WASHINGTON – Homeless veterans in Pennsylvania will have greater access to assistance, thanks to a $19,569 grant awarded by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to Victory House of Lehigh Valley for operations in Bethlehem.
“Only through a dedicated partnership with community- and faith-based organizations can we hope to end homelessness among veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “Pennsylvania veterans answered their country’s call to serve during its greatest times of need, and now some live without shelter. This grant will help them get back on the road to self-reliance.”
Victory House will use the grant to purchase a van to help with the transportation of homeless veterans to job training and referrals, as well as mental health and substance abuse treatments.
Their grant is one of 52 grants recently announced by VA worth nearly $11.6 million to public, private non-profit and faith-based groups for programs assisting homeless veterans.
This latest round of grants brings to more than 10,000 the number of community-based beds provided by public and community non-profit and faith-based organizations with VA funding in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
VA has the largest integrated network of homeless assistance programs in the country. It is the only federal agency that provides substantial one-on-one contact with the homeless. In many cities and rural areas, VA social workers and other clinicians conduct extensive outreach programs, clinical assessments, medical treatment, alcohol and drug abuse counseling and employment assistance.
